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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24547267">Petrichor, and Other Rain Related Things</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FountainPen/pseuds/FountainPen'>FountainPen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Paranatural (Webcomic)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cheesy, M/M, Roadtrip, Thunderstorms, as a treat, ed and izzy are mentioned, gays with sense, gratuitous fluff, isaac has self confidence but only sometimes, max is so soft for isaac, vaguely angst at one point</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:55:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,499</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24547267</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FountainPen/pseuds/FountainPen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Max and Isaac are 16 and 17 respectively and take their very first road trip, which is unfortunately interrupted by a thunderstorm, two phone calls, and a teeny bit of self-doubt.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Isaac O'Connor/Maxwell Puckett</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Petrichor, and Other Rain Related Things</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Max wasn’t sure how they got on the topic. Isaac had his eyes on the road in front of them, hands clutching the steering wheel tightly even though he’d been driving for a while now. Maybe it was the heavy stormclouds low on the horizon or the fact that this was the first time he’d ever left Mayview without it being a school activity or club trip.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Isabel and Ed had gotten shipped off to some lame spectral summer camp by Izzy’s grandpa. Being sixteen apparently had not awarded the duo much freedom in the sense of training. Max thought that the old man would have sent him and Isaac with them if he had the authority to. They’d managed to dodge his nagging for long enough that the sign-up date had passed. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But, without the watchful eye of Master Guerra constantly keeping them in line, Isabel had been able to call Max and insisted that he and Isaac come to visit. So, Max, in turn, bugged Isaac until he agreed to shuttle them upstate to a motel near the summer camp. Which was where that left them. On an empty highway far from home in Isaac’s van waiting for the next instructions from the GPS, talking about anything and everything. Very indie movie of them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, I’m serious, I know what glitter smells like and that’s Mr. Starchman!” Isaac said, eyes never leaving the road ahead of them</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Glitter doesn’t have a scent Isaac, and even if it did, the Starch Man smells like warm raspberries.”</p>
<p><br/>“What even <em> is </em>a warm raspberry?” Isaac asked. “Do you microwave your fruits?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, stupid, I mean like…” Max paused, thinking. “So imagine a raspberry bush in the woods that’s been sitting in the sun all day, and it’s really early fall.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s too specific!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Is not!” Max replied. “Everyone’s smell is specific, dude. It’s like, science.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fine, what do I smell like, you weirdo?” Isaac asked, and Max blinked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay, so you know how the air smells when it’s about to rain?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Great, so I even smell like a thunderstorm,” Isaac said bitterly. Max pretended not to notice the electricity dancing at the tips of Isaac’s fingertips.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not like a thunderstorm man,” Max shook his head. “Like a summer rain kinda smell.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Still rain,” Isaac mumbled. “No one really likes the rain.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I do.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You don’t count, you put ketchup on your eggs.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“First, you don’t even eat eggs, second, I’m serious. I genuinely like rain.” Max insisted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why?” Isaac asked. It was huffy and sarcastic, but Max could tell that he genuinely did want to know.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well for one, cloudy with a chance of angst, it’s calming, and it makes stuff grow, and...” Max trailed off, side-eyeing Isaac. “Don’t laugh?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You know I won’t, idiot,” Isaac said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I guess it kinda reminds me of you, y’know?” Max said. It was quiet in the car for a moment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Really?” Isaac asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I mean, yeah,” Max shrugged. “You’ve been my best friend for how long?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s… surprisingly mushy of you, Max,” Isaac said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shut it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It is though,” Isaac said, finally tearing his eyes away from the road. “Thanks.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No problem,” Max coughed. Isaac was still looking at him. Max distantly thought of that line from <em> Aristocats </em>about sapphires, but the idea was interrupted when a bolt of thunder sounded, loud and violent and it felt like the ground was shaking under the car. Isaac jerked the wheel, swerving across a thankfully empty lane.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sorry!” Isaac shouted when the sound died down. It hadn’t started raining just yet. “Sorry.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s okay,” Max reassured, unpeeling his tight grip on his seatbelt and counting his breaths.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Will you check how far we are?” Isaac asked. His eyes were locked back on the road.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“‘Nother hour or two before we’re there,” Max replied.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Got it,” Isaac said, taking a deep breath. “If it starts raining bad, I’m gonna pull over, okay?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Probably a good idea,” Max laughed. Another bout of thunder rolled over the sky, quieter than the last. Max reached for his phone, planning on snatching the aux.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If you play death metal, I’m kicking you out of this car,” Isaac warned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mid-2000s emo playlist it is I guess,” Max replied. The tension that had permeated the air in the car melted as Evanescence drifted through the car. Max made a point of singing along horribly, and he knew Isaac was trying not to laugh, he still was kicking himself for the thunder thing. Max persisted though, and Isaac finally cracked when Max began doing air guitar noises at the same time he was trying to sing the chorus.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It went on like that for a while, it was completely dark and Max was still singing along to whatever song queued up, and Isaac trying and failing not to laugh. Max was happy to make a fool of himself to hear his best friend laughing. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Isaac was still laughing when the sky opened up. There wasn’t much warning, just a drop or two of before the clouds dumped every drop of water they had onto the earth. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Pulling over?” Max shouted over the rain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah,” Isaac shouted back, throwing the blinkers on. He maneuvered over to the edge of the highway and parked the van.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Forecast says it’s gonna be like this for a while,” Max said, looking at his phone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Of <em>course </em>it is,” Isaac sighed, staring out at the downpour. It was quiet for another moment, just rain and thunder and the sound of another highway somewhere far off, but Max was once again the one to break the quiet, or, his father was. He’d called, worried about Max and Isaac driving in the rain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey, dad,” Max said, still having to shout some over the rain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey, kiddo, you two aren’t on the road right now are you?” Dad Puckett asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We were, but Isaac pulled over when it started.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He always has been a smart boy,” Max’s dad said fondly. “Good to know my darling son boy is in good hands.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>Dad- </em>” Max groaned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Alright alright. Are you two okay?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’re fine dad, we’ll start driving again once the rain stops,” When Max said stopped, he really meant calmed down, but his dad didn’t need to know that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay kiddo, just call me if you need anything!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Will do,” Max replied dutifully.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Love you, buddy,” Max’s dad said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Love you too, Dad,” Max grumbled back and hung up the phone. Isaac was looking forlornly out the window as the rain pelted all sides of the van. “Isaac?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hm,”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s up, dude?” Max asked. Eloquence wasn’t really Max’s specialty.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know you said you like the rain,” Isaac replied, “But what about when it’s like this?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Like what?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“When it’s too much. When it stops you from doing what you want to do, and it’s so <em> loud- </em>”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I still like it,” Max said simply. He wasn’t great with feelings, but he knew enough to know that Isaac wasn’t just talking about the rain. “Hold on just a sec.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Max unbuckled his seatbelt and crawled between his and Isaac’s seat into the cab of the van. They’d put the seats down to make room for their bags and snacks, and Max dug out a pair of blankets from his own backpack.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You coming?” Max asked. Isaac scrunched up his face but followed Max into the back. Max shoved the bags to one side and motioned for Isaac to sit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Max what are you-” Isaac started, sitting criss-cross on the floor of the van.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>Listen</em>,” Max demanded.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What?” Isaac asked. Max didn’t reply, he instead grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Isaac, pulling it up like a hood. “Max, have you finally lost it?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Just listen, man,” Max told him. “Don’t listen just to the rain though.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s <em> all </em> I can hear.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No,” Max insisted. “Listen. What else is there?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I… I hear <em>traffic</em>, I guess,” Isaac said. “Thunder.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>And? </em>” Max asked sitting next to Isaac with his own blanket.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, I hear <em>you </em>for one thing. And me.” Isaac shrugged. Max hit play on his phone and the music that had paused when his dad called resumed. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What about now?” Isaac smiled at that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Gerard Way.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good,” Max said. “My point has been made.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m not sure I follow,” Isaac told him. He hadn’t moved his blanket.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You can hear the traffic, and me and you, and the music, yeah?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So even if the rain gets loud, it’s never just rain.” <em> You’re never just rain</em>. “And sometimes the best thing you can do is listen.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“When did you get so good at this?” Isaac asked. He was smiling again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re friends with an angst machine like you for long enough, you learn a thing or two,” Max said, trying to keep the fondness from creeping too obviously into his reply.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re a jerk,” Isaac laughed, bumping his side into Max’s. To Max’s surprise and quiet satisfaction, Isaac remained pressed against him. Max turned to say something, the same time Isaac did, and Max immediately forgot what he was planning on saying when he realized just how close Isaac was to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Uh,” Max said, “Hey.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey,” Isaac replied. It was quiet for a long moment, and just as Isaac began to lean toward him, Max’s phone rang again, and they both jumped backward, faces beet red.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, Zoe?” Max asked through gritted teeth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Dad said he called, but I wanted to make sure you two dummies weren’t lying,” Zoe said. “Is something wrong?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nope, we’re just hanging out, waiting for the rain to chill out,” Max replied. Isaac was currently very interested in the zipper on his suitcase.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You sound like you’re lying.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Isn’t it past your bedtime?” Max asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh shut up, I’m not six!” Zoe replied while Max realized that Isaac was back at his side. “What are you guys even doing?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Just. Chilling, relaxing,” Max said, “Chillaxing.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Chillaxing?” Zoe asked. How someone so young managed to sound so unimpressed was beyond him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes, we are doing some very important chillaxing, and we won’t drive until the rain is finished,” Max said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mhm.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m hanging up now,” Max told her. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“By Max.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Later Zoe.” Max sighed as he hung up the phone, slumping his shoulders while Isaac laughed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>Important chillaxing </em>?” Isaac snickered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh my god, shut up,” Max groaned and stared at the floor. Isaac grinned at him, and finally closed the distance between them, Max’s face in his hands.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Very important chillaxing,” Isaac breathed when he pulled away. Max barked out a laugh and rested his forehead against Isaac’s, breathing in the heavy scent of petrichor. “Do you wanna go to the movies when we get home?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Absolutely. I’m so glad we didn’t do what people do in movies and not acknowledge the charged moment before the phonecall with poor timing,” Max replied.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why do people do that?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Drama and tension,” Max said, “Wanna watch vine comps until the road’s useable?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You know it,” Isaac grinned, and scooted closer.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It was half an hour later, 10:30, and the rain had slowed to a slight drizzle. The only reason they weren’t already on the road again, was that Isaac had dozed off, head resting on Max’s shoulder. Petrichor was all Max could smell, and Isaac’s ridiculously soft hair pressed against Max’s face. Isaac was snoring softly and Max couldn’t bring himself to be mad about the drool Isaac was getting on his shirt. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He could have stayed there like that forever, but when his phone read 10:45, Max begrudgingly admitted to himself that they probably needed to get going. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“‘Isaac,” Max muttered, gently shaking Isaac awake. “S’time to go.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Huh?” Isaac mumbled into Max’s shoulder. Max could feel his face heating up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Gotta hit the road, Stormy,” Max told him, and then Isaac was more awake.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What time is it?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ten forty-five, the weather just chilled out,” Max said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s not too off schedule,” Isaac said as he went to crawl back into the front seat. “Gah, my leg fell asleep.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s what you get for sitting on them all the time, genius.” And just like that, Max and Isaac were back to their usual banter. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I have long legs, and nowhere to put them, Max.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Get shorter legs, dweeb.” Max followed Isaac back into the front of the van. Max relished in the fact that he got to hold Isaac’s hand while they pulled back onto their highway. Max turned the radio on because his phone was getting low, and a bubblegum-pop song immediately filled the car.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay, how bullied am I gonna be for saying that I love this song?” Isaac asked, rubbing leftover sleep from his eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’d say fairly bullied if it weren’t so freakin’ catchy,” Max said. “But still slightly bullied.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s a good song, Maxwell.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s an <em> okay </em> song, Zacchary.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s- that’s not even my name, you jerk,” Isaac stammered- well, he pretended to. He’d mostly left stammering in freshman year, confidence had grown in spades alongside his friendship with the club.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I think it is, Zacchary,” Max teased, “How long have I known you, Zacchary?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>Maaaax</em>,” Isaac groaned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s wrong, Zacchary?” Max asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I am going to kill you,” Isaac told him. “I will be the one to do it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wow, my own pacifist boyfriend,” They were both laughing now. And they kept laughing until they slid into a tired silence that only comes toward the end of a long road trip. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was quiet enough that Isaac could hear the light drizzle of rain on the windshield, and for a moment he let that bother him, but then he heard the radio, and Max occasionally snickering at something on his phone. Max turned to him suddenly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Dude, I completely forgot armadillos existed until like, three seconds ago,” Max said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh my god,” Isaac laughed</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Max, wake up,” Isaac said softly, Max felt himself grumbling something unintelligible, squinting at the neon sign that was lighting up the front of the van. “We’re here.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Here?” Where were they?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The motel, Max.” Isaac laughed. Isaac hopped out of the car, waiting for Max to do the same. <em> Oh, right</em>. Max began fumbling with his seatbelt, exhaustion making his fingers heavy. “Christ, I forgot how dumb you get when you’re sleepy.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mm,” Max grunted. He still couldn’t get the stupid seatbelt. Isaac snorted, walked around to the passenger side and opened the door, reaching across Max and unbuckling the seatbelt for him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“There you go, you big dumb baby,” Isaac said. Max let Isaac lead him to their suitcases, and then into the motel. Max dozed on his feet and Isaac’s shoulder until Isaac pulled him into the room they’d called ahead for.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Max fell facefirst onto one of the twin beds as soon as they entered the room but turned his head to one side to speak.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Night ‘zac,” Max mumbled quietly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Goodnight, Max.” Isaac chuckled, and turned out the light.</p>
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